When your little one is sat on your lap, distracted by the book you are reading them, their thumb stuck securely in their mouth, there’s no denying that they look adorable! And it reminds you of a time when they were just a little baby in their cot, sucking on their tiny thumb as they slept. But now that you think about it, isn’t thumb-sucking thought to be a bad habit?

Thumb-sucking is a very natural and common behaviour in toddlers and early preschoolers, and for most, it will gradually come to a stop all on its own. However, when the habit lingers on in four to five-year-olds, it can become problematic.

Our bodies are made in all sorts of clever ways to keep us from getting hurt. For instance, we have eyelashes to prevent small particles such as dust from entering the eye, and there is a similarly good reason as to why we want our teeth to be straight. When teeth are pushed forward by thumb-sucking, protruding from the mouth, they’re more likely to be damaged if we have a stumble. Little ones are always running, jumping, spinning and dancing around, so tumbles and falls are very common and hopefully harmless, but the mouth and teeth are sensitive areas and we need to protect them as best we can. For the teeth to be pushed forward, thumb-sucking will have to take place regularly and over an extended period of time. So don’t worry! But we should also bear in mind that children who suck their thumbs will often miss out on activities that require the use of both hands, not to mention the fact that it is somewhat unhygienic.

But thumb-sucking can be prevented! Before we dive into a few different strategies, let’s first understand why children suck their thumbs.

Why do kids suck their thumbs?

Thumb-sucking is a habit that begins in infancy. In fact, most babies will suck their thumbs in utero, long before they are even born. For many, thumb-sucking satisfies the need for suckling, while others suck their thumbs to feel a sense of security and normalcy.

Unfortunately, children will likely be exposed to a lot of social pressure to change this behaviour, which may lead to feelings of shame. So when we attempt to prevent this behaviour, we need to be careful to go about it in such a way that does not compromise the child’s self-esteem or confidence.

So, how do we prevent thumb-sucking?

The satisfaction a child gets from thumb-sucking is very likely nothing to do with attention, so, unlike many unwanted behaviours, simply ignoring it will not make it go away. So what can we do?

Thumb-sucking chart

The first step is to determine how often your child sucks their thumb. Observe them for a few days, determining whether they have their thumb in their mouth once every 45 minutes, once every 30 minutes, or perhaps even more regularly. Then make up a colourful sticker chart with the necessary time intervals marked.

Speak to your child, acknowledging that you understand why they enjoy sucking their thumb. Without denying the pleasure that they derive from it, let them know that the behaviour concerns you. Explain to them that you worry about them missing out on all sorts of fun activities that need both hands to be free, and if you think they’re old enough to understand, try to explain some long-term effects of thumb-sucking.

Following this, tell them, ‘Let’s work together and see if we can cut down on your thumb-sucking. We can even make a game of it! Every time you don’t suck your thumb for 15 minutes, you get to put a sticker on the chart!’

You’re only looking to monitor the behaviour for one or two hours a day, so the chart will look something like this:

Date	16:00	16:15	16:30	16:45

Once the hour hits — let’s imagine it’s 4 pm in the afternoon — let them know that it’s time to begin the game and remind them that they will get a star if they can keep from sucking their thumb for 15 minutes. Frequently encourage the child during the 15 minutes, reminding them of how well they are doing and if they make it, give them a bright and colourful sticker to place on the chart. If they don’t make it the full 15 minutes, simply say, ‘Let’s try again’. If they continue to struggle, cut the time interval down to 10 minutes.

As they begin to suck their thumb less, increase the time intervals on the chart. When they’ve stopped sucking altogether, let them keep the now colourful sticker chart to remind them of their hard work and success.

Just make sure to be patient - an ingrained habit such as thumb-sucking isn’t easy to get rid of!

Provide activities

When their little hands are kept busy, children are much less likely to pop a thumb in their mouth, so try to keep them entertained with those activities that require the use of both hands, such as playing catch in the garden. And if they’re engaged in an activity that allows them to suck their thumb — perhaps they do so when you read to them — ask them to pantomime scenes with their hands and arms as you read aloud.

Reinforce wanted behaviour

Throughout the day, look out for occasions to praise your child for keeping their thumbs out of their mouth. Give them a hug, a pat on the back or a high-five, and periodically tell them how proud you are that they are sucking their thumb less and trying so hard.

How do I prevent thumb-sucking?

Unii shares how to deal with this unsightly behaviour.